Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Newlywed Indian couple survives separation; language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Meenakshi Sundareshwar
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In MEENAKSHI SUNDARESHWAR, Meena (Sanya Malhotra) is a dutiful Indian daughter, submitting to an arranged marriage. She's also a young woman who knows her own mind. When the prospective groom Sundar (Abhimanyu Dasani) and his family come to Meena's for the first meeting, their chemistry is obvious -- two charming, bright, and attractive young people immediately want to be together. But mistakes have been made. Sundar and family happen to wander into the home of a different family, also waiting to meet a different potential groom. Meena's family sends away the other groom and plan for the wedding. Consummation of their marriage is more difficult as every time they try to have sex for the first time, they are interrupted by emergencies. When Sundar, who has been unable to find employment since his graduation, finds a prestigious job only offered to unmarried men, he must move far away, leaving Meena behind. They struggle to maintain the relationship; can they make it work?
Is It Any Good?
The expressive actors who play the title roles in Meenakshi Sundareshwar telegraph emotions more eloquently than the words in the uneven script. They fall in love at first sight, and many viewers will join right in. They persuade us that singing and dancing can break out at any moment and, when it does, each of them adds the joy of movement to the movie's assets.
But the narrative does get baggy in places. A good 50 minutes of its 140-minute running time could be eliminated and still leave behind a frothy Bollywood romp. Some viewers might be unaware of the many different cultures that coexist in India's vast geographical expanse. This film is set in the southern Tamil region, and some Tamil pundits view it as a caricatured Bollywood interpretation of South India's distinct culture. One observer notes that Tamil characters are often inserted in mainstream Indian films somewhat disrespectfully, for comic relief. Here, neither the leads nor a majority of the cast are Tamil, and social media posts complain that the movie is an inaccurate representation of South Indian culture, with wrong clothes, language, pronunciations, and casting.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way that Sundar and Meena sparked to each other immediately. What does the movie say about arranged marriages and the role luck plays in happiness?
As the daughter-in-law, Meena must move into her husband's family's home. How do you think that custom either encourages or limits women and their pursuits?
Why do you think the innovative company Sundar joins doesn't like to hire married people?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 5, 2021
- Cast : Sanya Malhotra , Abhimanyu Dasani
- Director : Vivek Soni
- Inclusion Information : Indian/South Asian Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Romance
- Run time : 141 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : December 14, 2021
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